Chapter 13: The Ginyu Force

"Lord Guru—this is the visitor." Nail spoke reverently to the huge, ancient Namekian sitting in the throne at the back of the room. "He comes seeking our help in protecting this planet, and his own."

"Step forward," came a deep voice which seemed to come from every direction at once. Tien walked over to Guru's throne, looking up at the elder and wondering how many years, and how many generations, someone like him must have seen go by. "Uh…Guru? I'm from—"

"Earth."

"Huh?" Tien raised an eyebrow.

"I felt your mind from afar, Tien Shinhan. Such a strong mind. You and your friends have travelled far."

"That we have…" Tien glanced around. "I was told you have a Dragon Ball here, and I wanted to ask for it—while I'm sure your guard is very loyal, we can hide it in a place far less obvious than your home, sir."

Guru smiled. "Your mission, it is a noble one. Nail, bring forth the Dragon Ball." The ever-alert warrior nodded and retreated into the darkness. "Stand close, human. There is another gift I can bestow upon you."

"A…gift?" Tien asked. "What do you mean?"

"I sense great power within you." Guru held out his hand. "Let me awaken your true potential, and your coming battles may be easier."

When Nail re-entered the main area, carrying the Dragon Ball in both hands, Guru's hand was resting on Tien's forehead, and a shimmering white aura enveloped the human fighter. When it faded, Tien stood completely still, stunned at what he could sense inside himself. "This power…it's incredible! I've had it all along?"

Guru nodded, and Nail handed Tien the Dragon Ball. He accepted it cheerfully. "Thanks so much! I won't let you down! Dende…"

Dende answered the unspoken question. "I would like to stay here, if Guru allows it."

"Of course," the eldest Namekian replied. Tien waved farewell, sprinted for the door and took off, soaring through the green-tinted skies.

Goku was getting the hang of 30G training, but he was troubled—Raditz still hadn't rejoined him. So he jumped down to the lower level of the ship, to find his brother lying on his back, eyes closed. "Hey, what's got into you? We haven't got much time until Namek, ya know!"

"What's the point? Frieza's going to kill us when we get there," Raditz groaned. "I don't know, maybe Vegeta was right about fighting anyone—maybe you were right, too—but then, I guess that'd make two things you're right about. I'm no warrior."

"Huh?" Goku scratched his head. "That's ridiculous. You were awesome against Piccolo and Vegeta!"

"No…" Raditz rolled over, facing downwards. "Do you know, I was always mocked on Planet Vegeta. Raditz, the weakling. Raditz, the joke. Bardock's son, the failure. I was supposed to be a warrior of the highest class…it's no wonder our father disowned me."

"He what?!" Goku's eyes widened.

"And I'd constantly be on missions, just to get away from the ridicule. Weak planets, of course—places like Earth, where I could feel like a god among insects. I'd delude myself, thinking for just a brief moment…that I was special. That I was important."

Goku crouched down next to Raditz. "So you were on one of these missions when the meteor hit?"

"That's right." Raditz looked up at his brother, fighting to keep his face straight and failing. "And then—I came to Earth, to find you. You were only so weak because of the gravity you'd trained under. If you'd grown up on Planet Vegeta, you'd probably have been a match for Nappa. You saved my life from Piccolo, and then I just kept proving myself worthless."

"Don't say that!"

"It's true! Who defeated the invaders? Who really won the battle? Not me—you. You, Tien, and your son. And I've lost my tail, too—my greatest source of power. And then you, you Earthling in all but name, you show more courage than me—and despite knowing I should be relishing the prospect of battle, I turn coward and try to run. I don't deserve to be called saiyan, much less warrior." His eyes closed again, and he slumped to the floor.

"Wow…I was just trying to make you more determined, but I guess it backfired…" Goku stood up, staring down at Raditz. The silence lasted a full minute, then Goku sighed, stretching out a hand. "Raditz."

"Uh?" One eye half-opened cautiously.

"Take my hand. Do you want to be a fighter?"

"What?"

Goku smiled. "Do you want to prove them wrong? You don't have to be weak if you don't want to. Come on, Nappa's already nothing compared to you."

Raditz took Goku's hand, standing up slowly. "Woah…how do you move around in this gravity?"

"The same way I do everything—with hard work and dedication! That's the warrior's way, right?"

"Do you really think we can become powerful enough to defeat Frieza?"

"Anything's possible." Goku shrugged. "We won't know until we try!"

"Lord Frieza—the scouts have reported back, the sixth Dragon Ball is in our possession." Zarbon informed Frieza. Those three had better have found the seventh, or there won't be much I can do to stop Frieza attaining immortality…just how long is Cooler going to take?!

Frieza nodded. "Very good. Not long now…now, if we can just locate the seventh before Cooler makes his move. Dismissed." A soldier ran in, seconds after Zarbon departed. "Sir! The Ginyu Force are minutes away! Their signal is approaching fast."

"Then I shall go and meet them. With their scouters, obtaining the final Dragon Ball will be easy." Frieza headed for the door. "Oh, and flunky, find something useful to do."

The five Ginyu Force pods collided with the planet's surface, throwing up a satisfying dust cloud. Out climbed the five eccentric and colourful elite soldiers—Captain Ginyu, his right-hand man Jeice, resident speedster Burter, hulking giant Recoome, and dimunitive psychic Guldo. They leapt around like maniacs, forming their 'special fighting poses' Ginyu loved to work so hard on. Frieza rolled his eyes. "Yes, very good, Ginyu. Your ballet is, as ever, flawless. But the mission is somewhat urgent—as you know, Cooler is quite possibly on his way here at this very moment."

"Indeed, my lord Frieza." Ginyu bowed. "Rest assured, we will make short work of the 'armoured squadron' your brother loves to parade around!"

"Very good. However, your first objective is to locate the seventh—" Frieza was cut off by Guldo, who somewhat unexpectedly exploded.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this a nice little gathering." Standing a few hundred metres away stood a short man with spiked black hair that stood up on end. He wore personalised battle armour, and had one finger outstretched, smoke rising from the tip.

"Ve…Vegeta?!" Captain Ginyu spluttered. "How the hell did you get here? And why didn't our scouters pick you up as you approached?"

"A simple trick, but I don't think that's the most pressing matter on your mind right now, am I right?" Vegeta smirked. "I'm here, fully recovered from my last battle, to offer my services to Frieza in a new capacity—as captain of his elite squad!" Frieza watched all this silently.

"You must be joking!" Ginyu burst out laughing. "You, monkey? Replace me? Still, as funny as your little delusions are, I can't let the death of a team member go unavenged. Prepare to die, at the hands of the finest soldier in Frieza's empire!" Ginyu charged forwards.

Vegeta simply grinned, catching his punch, and when the captain swung his other fist, Vegeta vanished, appearing behind Ginyu and kicking him away. The other Ginyus stood puzzled. "Vegeta was never this strong…" Jeice muttered. "He's standing up to the Captain, and…" he tapped his scouter. "…What?! That's impossible! He's just a saiyan!"

Ginyu gritted his teeth, swinging around and launching an elbow strike, which Vegeta ducked under. The prince leaned in, grabbing one of Ginyu's horns in each hand and headbutting him, drawing blood. Ginyu staggered away, clutching his face. "Where did you get all this power? Answer me!"

"That's for me to know, and anyone who's still alive in two minutes to find out."

"Lord Frieza! Kill this traitor!" Ginyu shouted, but Frieza just chuckled.

"He's challenged you for leadership of the squad, Ginyu. If you forfeit, Vegeta wins by default."

"But…trial by combat has never been a tradition in this army…"

"It is if I say it is. And I want only the strongest captain leading my troops. If Vegeta beats you, perhaps he'd be a better leader than you would." Frieza waved a hand. "Do carry on."

"Well, Ginyu?" Vegeta stood, completely at ease, waiting for his opponent. "It's your move."

Hmm… Ginyu, having got over his shock at being outclassed by Vegeta, began to stratgise. I can't beat him in a straight fight…but, of course…to overpower me like that, he must have a very powerful body…yes, indeed… He laughed again. "Perhaps you will be the captain—just not in the way you'd imagined!" Opening his mouth wide, Ginyu prepared to fire his Body Change technique. "CH—" Vegeta moved faster than Ginyu's eyes could follow, appearing behind him and cutting through the Captain's neck with the edge of his hand.

Captain Ginyu's severed head rolled along the ground, stopping at Burter's feet. The blue, serpentine soldier recoiled in horror. "C-captain…"

"Yes, that's right." Vegeta pointed at himself as Ginyu's body hit the floor. "Captain. Am I correct, Frieza?"

Frieza nodded. "Indeed—well done, Vegeta. I grant you leadership of the Gin…ah, should it be the Vegeta Force now?"

Vegeta waved his hand in dismissal. "Call it what you like. The galaxy knows and fears the Ginyu Force, so there's no need to cause confusion by changing it."

"Cunning strategy, by the way, Vegeta." Frieza smirked. Vegeta stared as if Frieza was a cat that had just done long division.

"Uh…Strategy?"

"With that increased power of yours, you could have easily beaten any of the squad, so you killed the two members with abilities not reliant on power alone—Ginyu's body change technique, and Guldo's psychic abilities. Impressive…for a primate."

Vegeta ground his teeth. "Thank you, sir." One day, Frieza…one day, very soon…

Frieza walked leisurely over to Vegeta and his new subordinates. "And by the way, there are two questions which spring to mind…how did you increase your power by so much? And I believe Cui was chasing you—what happened to him?"

"Well, as I retreated from my last mission, I was aiming for Frieza planet 79, but my course was diverted by enemy fire, and I ended up on Frieza planet 325. This world had ten times the gravity of Planet Vegeta, and realising how beneficial this would be to any training I did, I formed a plan, the fruition of which you just saw. Cui arrived a couple of weeks into my training, and he tried to kill me for some perceived treachery or another. Needless to say, it was an extremely short battle."

Frieza began to re-enter his ship. "Well, just remember that this mission, if successful, will make up for your unsanctioned attack on Earth. Now, go find that last Dragon Ball. As in, now."

Tien was leaving Guru's house for the second time. This time, Gohan and Yamcha came with him, having also both received Guru's gift. As they were about to take off, Yamcha looked over to the left, staring into space. "You guys feel that?"

Tien nodded. "That energy—it's the guy who made a deal with us. And he's flying away from the rest of them, on his own. I think he's signalling us."

"Then let's go see him—he might have the Dragon Balls," Gohan suggested. "Let's get ours from Bulma. And if it's a trick or something, with all this new power he won't be a problem, right?"

"Right!" Yamcha agreed, and they headed off in Zarbon's direction.

Zarbon watched the specks in the sky grow into three humanoid figures, and smiled as they landed. "Ah, I was hoping you'd notice me coming out here." He was carrying a Dragon Ball in each hand.

"Where are the other four?" Tien asked-Yamcha had their one.

"Back at Frieza's ship—I can't carry them all in one go. I'll go and sneak them out like I did these, but first I wanted to make sure you were here with the seventh and ready when we have them."

"Hey," Yamcha whispered to Tien. "Do we need to go through with the deal? Why not let him get the Dragon Balls, then beat him up and take the wishes for ourselves. We should be able to beat him now."

Tien sighed. "It's fine, Yamcha. Two wishes will be plenty, and as long as he doesn't wish to kill us all or something like that, there's no problem."

"All right…so, uh…"

"Zarbon, if you must know."

"Right, Zarbon." Yamcha shrugged. "Time is of the essence and all, so if you could…"

"Of course." Zarbon turned to leave, but then the others all started staring at a point in the sky. "What are you…oh no…" another group of figures was heading their way, and in less than a minute the four soldiers of Frieza—Vegeta, Recoome, Jeice and Burter—had reached them, touching down gracefully.

The three former underlings of Ginyu performed another over-the-top pose, at which Vegeta and Zarbon groaned while the humans stared in confusion.

"You morons!" Vegeta growled at them. "Stop that before I kill you all where you stand! You're not working for Ginyu anymore!"

"Uh…" Zarbon tried to make sense of the situation. "Vegeta…and…the Ginyu Force?"

"Yes, the squad is under new management." Vegeta stepped forwards. "And when our scouters detected you all on your own, Zarbon, who'd have thought we'd find a full-scale case of treachery?" Not that I needed a scouter myself…

"Treachery?" Zarbon blustered. "No, I'm not—"

"Caught red-handed with three Dragon Balls and a bunch of Earthlings?" Vegeta pointed at Zarbon and the Earthlings, smiling cruelly. "Ginyu Force—attack!"

And here comes the Ginyu Force. Should be interesting. Anyway, it is time for the customary levelling of the power (from now on, these will all be approximate—for instance, supposedly Nail is at 42,000 to be exact, but 40,000 is close enough here, and being that exact seems inconsistent with other characters like Tien, for whom I don't have a more accurate number):

Tien (power unlocked): 40,000

Gohan (power unlocked): 14,000

Yamcha (power unlocked): 10,000

Zarbon: 23,000 (monster form 30,000)

Captain Ginyu: 120,000

Jeice: 40,000

Burter: 40,000

Recoome: 40,000

Nail: 40,000

Vegeta (arriving on Frieza planet 325): 24,000

Vegeta (arriving on Namek): 200,000

Cui: 18,000

Frieza: 530,000

Goku and Raditz at the moment: Spoiler

If anybody disagrees with me about this (I predict the Ginyu Force and Vegeta might be a point of disagreement), put it in a review and I'll answer it.

Apologies, no chapter on Sunday, I'll be away. There might be a chapter next Wednesday, but there will definitely be one next Sunday (the 30th).

Q: nice chapter.
one thing though. Goku seemed quite out of character in regards to teasing Raditz about 'being a true saiyan' and all. Goku seemed far to serious about it to me.

A: Well, hopefully this chapter helped you understand Goku's thoughts a bit more on this—his real issue was that his brother was running from the potential greatest fight of their lives. He wasn't teasing, or at least I wasn't trying to give the impression that he was.

Q: Will Cooler have a personal role on Namek, or will he be mostly giving out orders to his subordinates from the shadows? This is such a good story!

A: Let me put it this way. Would I build up Cooler as a villain, then not have him fight?

Q: This is a pretty good chapter. I like the over all development though two things do concern me.

1. With Piccolo relegated to Enma's assistant paper pusher, how is he going to achieve a power exceeding Nail's? Seems he wont be a contender on his home planet, if he even gets to step foot on it. Maybe he'll get his heel turn and shine more in the android saga.

2. There has been quite a bit of Zarbon motive questioning, and I had found myself some what in the same camp. I can understand his betrayal of Freiza, most of Frieza's empire would turn on him if they thought they could survive the ordeal, but Zarbon's wish stealing gambit leaves him open to Freiza's wrath. I find it hard to believe such a successfully faithful 2nd in command could/would fumble with a badly contrived betrayal... alas his calling of Cooler prior to the ginyu force has restored my hope that he is merely a mad strategist. So Zarbon's betrayal is multi-pronged; taking the wish, setting freiza and cooler against each other in hopes of mutual annihilation, and somehow escaping amiss the chaos.

A: 1. Ah, Kami is pushing papers. Piccolo is in Hell, doing who knows what. Well, I do. Good point, though—lack of King Kai's training may hinder Piccolo, though since he was stronger than DBZ Piccolo in the saiyan saga, it's still not clear (except to me, because I spend way too much time planning this story out) whether he'll ultimately be more or less powerful.

2. Yeah, I've had mixed reactions to the whole Zarbon thing. I really just wanted him to have a motivation beyond 'I am evil and am a Frieza soldier blargh'. He's certainly playing it high-stakes; maybe he knows Frieza tends to kill off his soldiers after a while when they start to annoy him, so his lifespan wouldn't be too great anyway…

Q: Oh boy, Freeza and Cooler possibly fighting on Namek is a brilliant plot development. I wonder how daddy Cold will come into this... I doubt you will actually answer this due to spoilers, but do you take after DBM and believe that Cold has additional transformations he didn't use in canon?

A: I decided I'd let the King himself answer this.

Cold: Ahahahaha...Hahahahaha!

Q: I liked the Zarbon twist, making him call Cooler to Namek..hope to see how you are going to place Goku, Raditz and Cooler along with Freezer and Vegeta

A: Thanks, and at least one of those people appear in chapter 14 or 15.

Q: The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.

A: You see that box there, above the words 'post review'? You type in it. (Okay, I'm just being sarcastic, you probably just had a computer error or clicked 'post review' by accident.)

Q: So now we will have Cooler on Namek too? This is getting even more difficult for the humans and even for Goku and Raditz, I wonder what will be the increase in Tien's powerlevel after Guru unlocks his hidden potential, maybe up to 25,000 since he can access it throught the kaioken i guess. Nice chapter.

A: Well, Krillin got an almost x10 boost (up to 13,000) in DBZ, so I used a similar increase for Tien (5,000 to 40,000) and Yamcha (a bit less powerful than Krillin, so up to 10,000). Gohan's power is the same as in canon DBZ at this point (14,000, at least when calm).

Q: I'm really loving the history so far... I noticed some similiarities with Dragonball Budokai Tenkaichi 2's alternate continuity arcs, such as Raditz turning into a good guy, or Zarbon betraying Freeza and turning Cooler against him to get eternal beauty... pretty nice history... if you want to answer me, just search for my username, as I am too lazy to sign in...

A: Getting a couple people mentioning the Budokai Tenkaichi 2 similarities. I was partially inspired by that-but those were quite short stories (one ended with Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta all dead without a real battle, the other had Frieza and Cooler kill each other, and Zarbon also dying, and Goku pretty much came to Namek, got beaten up by Frieza, and left), so I tried not to imitate them exactly, or there wouldn't really be any story potential-would you have been satisfied if the story had ended like that?